Three dead and several others shot in Arkansas grocery store, police say

A shooting at an Arkansas grocery store left three people dead and several others injured, including two police officers, on Friday, June 21.

A press release from the Arkansas State Police (ASP) said authorities responded to a shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce, Arkansas, south of Little Rock.

The gunman, who was shot by a police officer and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, is now in custody, said Mike Hagar, minister of public safety and director of the ASP, during a press conference shortly after the shooting.

“The situation is safe and under control,” Hagar said, adding: “There is no active threat to the community.”

After officers were notified of the shooting at the grocery store, they “immediately responded to an exchange of gunfire with a single suspect,” Hagar said.

Eleven “innocent civilians” were shot and three died, Hagar said. He added that two police officers were injured during a “shootout.” The injuries to the police officers and the suspect were not life-threatening, Hagar said. The civilians’ injuries ranged from non-life-threatening to “severely critical,” he added.

The investigation is ongoing, Hagar said, adding that no further information is known at this time. The ASP is leading the investigation.

According to local news station KATV, Fordyce City Councilman Roderick Rogers called 911.

“This is a very devastating day for us,” Rogers told KATV. “Never in our lives did we think something like this could happen. There are a lot of families affected, so just keep praying for them.”

Sisters Amiya and Ashia Doherty, who also witnessed the shooting, told KATV: “I was really scared. I never thought something like this would happen in Fordyce. This is really scary and I’m praying for the man, you know, because something triggered him. But yeah, I’m just glad that me and my family are OK. But I want to pray for those who were hurt.”

Another witness, David Rodriguez, who filmed the scene, told local station 5NewsOnline that he thought he heard fireworks, and when he saw people running out of the grocery store, he started filming with his phone.

“The police came,” Rodriguez told the newspaper. “Then there was heavy gunfire and ambulances came… bullets were flying.”

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Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded to the shooting on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:

“I have been informed of the tragic shooting in Fordyce and am in constant contact with the State Police on the scene,” Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

“I am grateful to the police and emergency responders for their quick and heroic actions in saving lives,” she continued. “My prayers are with the victims and all those affected by this horrific incident.”